FL-8SLT Operation Manual CONTENTS General Description Specifications Unit Installation Power Connection Transducer Installation Operation Typical Indications Maintenance Operational Questions & Answers Transducer Beam Angle Chart Trouble Shooting Chart Accessories and Other Products Transducers Service and Support 2 3 4 4 5-8 9 - 10 11 - 14 15 16 - 20 21 22 23 - 25 26 - 27 28 Founded in 1960, Vexilar, Inc. has a long history of bringing revolutionary technology to the sport fishing industry. Just some of the Vexilar firsts include: the first liquid crystal display, the first fish alarm, the first three color display, and the first CRT and straight line paper graphs, for the sport fisherman. Now, with the FL-8SLT, we bring you the first true interference Rejection unit. Again, Vexilar leads, while the others follow. 1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION The FL-8SLT is a compact and lightweight depth sounder designed for serious anglers. Besides indicating depth, the unit also shows changes in bottom content and conditions. It can also discriminate between large underwater targets, such as fish, and smaller targets such as bait fish and plankton. The unit transmits bursts of high frequency pulses, which are converted from electrical to mechanical energy by the transducer. These "sound" pulses radiate from the transducer downward and are reflected back up to the transducer where the energy is converted back to electrical signals. The FL-8SLT then processes these signals and displays them. The circular display is accomplished by attaching an LED (Light Emitting Diode) to a wheel, which is then spun at a high speed in the clockwise direction. This allows for an extremely high speed update. The bottom, as well as other targets, can be displayed as red, orange, or green to indicate strong, medium and weak signals respectively. The FL8SLT also has patented Interference Rejection (IR) Technology. This lets the user "filter out" unwanted interference from another nearby depth sounder. With two models available, deep and shallow, and a wide variety of accessories to choose from, the Vexilar FL-8SLT is second to none. 2 SPECIFICATIONS Operating Voltage: Current Draw: Power Output: Frequency: Resolution: Target Separation: Display Colors: Dimensions: Weight: 10.5 - 15 Volts (12 Volts Nominal) 200mA 400 Watts (Peak to Peak) 200 kHz 525 Segments 2.65" Min. 3 - Red, Orange, and Green 4.4"H x 6"W x 2.5"D 1.1 Lbs. Depth Scales: 0-20', 0-30', 0-40', 0-60', 0-80', and 0-120' - Shallow Model Or 0-20', 0-30', 0-40', 0-60', 0-80', and 0-240' - Deep Model Beam Angle: If your transducer is not marked, you can determine the beam angle by the dimensions of the transducer face. Measure the shortest distance across the face of the transducer. 19° transducers measure about 1 1/2". 9º and dual beam transducers will be about 2 1/2" across the face. 3 INSTALLATION To make the FL-8SLT work, you must provide the unit with power and mount the transducer in an appropriate location. UNIT INSTALLATION Find a convenient place to mount the unit. This may include a boat seat, deck, dash, or a portable case. Make sure that there is plenty of room for the unit to tilt and/or swivel freely without the cables binding behind the unit. Once you have found a spot, remove the unit from the gimbal bracket. Securely attach the bracket to the mounting surface. POWER CONNECTION Plug the flat 3 pin connector into the back of the unit. Find the closest source of 12 volts and run the cord to it. Keep the cord away from sharp metal edges and avoid tight places where the cord may get crushed. Connect the red wire to positive and the black wire to negative or ground. If the cord provided is not long enough, more can be added. Use 18 gauge wire minimum. It is recommended that a 1 amp in-line fuse be placed in the positive line as close to the power source as possible to protect against any shorts in the wiring. 4 TRANSDUCER INSTALLATION There are three basic types of transducers to consider: High Speed, Puck Style, and the Ice-Ducer System. HIGH SPEED TRANSDUCERS High Speed transducers are designed to be mounted on the transom of a boat. The wedged shape will cut the water and give a clear depth reading at any boat speed. Locate a spot similar to the one in figure E. Keep in mind that you need clear water flow across the face of the transducer to insure a clear reading at all speeds. Stay away from rivets, ribs, or strakes that would be just in front of the transducer. They will disturb the water and scramble the reading. Attach the mounting bracket to the transducer and hold it up to the boat where you are Figure E planning to mount it (see figure E). Mark the holes on the transom, or mounting plate, so that when the bottom of the transducer is flush with the bottom of the boat the holes are located at the bottom of the bracket slots. This gives you room to "fine tune" the position of the transducer and optimize your reading after you've put the back boat in the water. Drill out the holes and tighten the bracket down securely. Be sure to seal any holes drilled into the transom with silicone to prevent water from leaking into the boat. Run the transducer cord up to the unit taking the same care as you did when you ran the power cord. Plug the transducer connector into the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down tight. 5 PUCK STYLE TRANSDUCERS There are three ways in which a Puck Style transducer can be mounted. It can be mounted In-Hull, on an electric trolling motor, or portable (with a suction cup or on an arm of some type). IN-HULL MOUNTING This method, gluing the transducer to the hull, gets the same results as if you were using the High Speed transducer only there are no holes to drill in the boat and there is no transducer on the transom to get damaged by impact. Finding the best location for the transducer before mounting is critical. Choose a flat smooth spot near the center of the bilge and near the back of the boat. It is a good idea to make a "test run" before you permanently install the transducer to make sure that you can indeed get a reading through your hull, and when the boat is on plane. Put about a half inch of water in the bilge and hold the transducer in the intended location. Move the transducer around until you get the best reading. Mark the spot. To install the transducer clean the spot of mud and oil. Using an epoxy or silicone glue make a puddle about the same diameter as the transducer on the hull. Place the transducer in the glue. Press it down firmly, gently twisting it back and forth, making sure that there are no air bubbles in the glue between the transducer and the hull. Let the glue dry completely before turning the unit on. Run the transducer cord up to the unit taking the same care as you did when you ran the power cord. Plug the transducer connector into the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down tight. 6 TROLLING MOTOR MOUNTING To attach a Puck Style transducer to a trolling motor, use a hose clamp or a large cable tie. Notice the slots in the transducer for this purpose. Locate the transducer on the bottom of the lower unit as in figure G. Run the cable up the shaft using cable ties to hold Figure G it in position. Make sure that the movement of the trolling motor will not damage the cable. Plug the transducer connector into the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down tight. PORTABLE MOUNTING Optional suction cup brackets can be used to temporarily attach a transducer to the transom or side of the boat. The cups should be placed in a location where it will not be torn off when the boat goes high speed. It is a good idea to tie on a safety rope in case the cup does let go. There are three suction cup brackets available for the FL-8SLT. The BK0023 and BK0027 are made to attach the Puck style transducers to a boat for use at slow speeds. The BK0044 suction cup brackets is made to attach the high speed transducers to a boat for high speed uses. See page 26 for details. An arm can also be used to hold the transducer. Simply attach the transducer to the end of the arm using cable ties or tape. If the arm is constructed of metal tubing insulate the transducer from the arm by wrapping electrical tape around the arm. This prevents "ringing" which can be displayed as noise near the surface. Run the transducer cord up to the unit using cable ties to hold the cord in place. Plug the transducer connector into the back of the unit and screw the retaining ring down tight. 7 THE ICE-DUCERTM SYSTEM* The Ice-Ducer system provides a quick and easy way to set up the transducer for ice fishing. All of the adjustments needed to find the true perpendicular point are done automatically. To use the Ice-Ducer, simply adjust the transducer to the desired depth and drop the assembly in the ice hole. There are three main components to the Ice-Ducer system. They include the transducer, float, and the stop. The transducer comes assembled with the connector already installed. The stop is put on by passing the transducer cord through the slit in the side of the stop. Make sure that the tapered or rounded end is facing down, toward the transducer. The float is installed between the stop and the transducer by, again, passing the transducer cord through the slit in the side. Make sure the countersunk hole is facing up towards the top. To use the Ice-Ducer, adjust the stop to allow the transducer to float at the desired depth. A six inch minimum is recommended in order to make sure that the transducer will indeed be pointing straight down. The most it should be down is to the bottom of the ice hole. If the transducer is below the bottom of the ice it can cause tangling problems when bringing in fish. If you run into problems when using the Ice-Ducer and you can't see your bait try this, rub the bottom of the transducer with water to eliminate any residue or air film. This insures good contact between the transducer and the water. Check the length of cord between the float and the transducer to make sure there are no kinks in the cord that will cause the transducer to shoot off to the side *Patent no. 5,546,362 8 OPERATION Figure I shows the three main controls of the FL-8SLT. They include Power and Range control, Gain, and Interference Rejection. POWER AND RANGE CONTROL The knob located at the bottom of the control panel turns the unit on and selects which range is to be used. The center position is the Off position. There are six depth ranges to choose from. S1 - 0-20' S2 - 0-40' S4 - 0-80' D1 - 0-30' D2 - 0-60' D4 - 0-120' (D8 - 0-240' Deep Model) Figure I To activate the unit and select the appropriate range turn the knob to the left or right. To read the correct depth on the display you must correlate your range setting with the proper scale on the display. Notice that the shallow ranges are marked in white and the deep ranges are marked in yellow. For a range selection of S1 you would read the white numbers on the display. For a range selection of S2 you would read the white numbers times two, and times four for S4. The same is the case for the D ranges, only you would read the yellow numbers on the display. For example, figure J shows the leading edge of the bottom at nine feet on the white scale. With a range setting of S1 you would interpret this as nine feet deep. With a range setting of S2 you would interpret this as 18 feet deep. With a range setting of D1 you would look at the yellow numbers and read the depth as slightly over 13 feet deep. D2 would read 26 feet. A setting of D4 would read the depth at 52 feet (13 x 4). 9 GAIN CONTROL The knob located at the top of the control panel is the gain control. This controls the amount of signal that you see on the display. A gain setting of zero will display a minimum amount of signal while a gain setting of ten will show the maximum amount. Different conditions will require different gain settings. Deeper water will require higher gain than shallow water. A weedy bottom will demand a lower gain setting than a clean bottom. Keep the gain level low. Too much gain can "wash out" the targets that you want to see. Generally, it is a good idea to set the gain at an appropriate level and leave it there. Only change the gain level if the water depth or conditions change. INTERFERENCE REJECTION* The yellow button in the middle of the panel controls the Interference Rejection feature. The red LED to the upper left of the I.R. button tells you if the rejection circuitry is on. The I.R. feature has eight steps of rejection to let you eliminate unwanted interference from another nearby depth finder. When you turn on the FL-8SLT on, the I.R. automatically comes on to the first step. If necessary, press the I.R. button repeatedly until the interference is eliminated. You can press the button seven times before you get back to the first step again. Turning the unit off and then on again will also reset the I.R. back to t ...